In Pain

Carol Purves Carol's Blog

My friend in England has a boy friend in Germany, so visits there frequently. She is gradually learning to speak German but occasionally has a lapse when she can’t think of the right word in time. I often have a laugh as she describes her mistakes.

One day she went into a second-hand German bookshop. She found a book she really wanted to buy but because of its very poor condition she felt the asking price was too high. In her haste and stuck for the right word, she came out with the words ‘This book is in pain!’

It made me think of our world which is in pain. Viewing it, God is in pain also. The Bible puts it like this ‘We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in pains of childbirth up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, groan as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.’ Romans 8:22

Thigs are not right, we have turned away from God as we try to run our own lives. God’s way is the best way, the only way. All we can do is keep our eyes on Him and not on the troubles of the world. Nor are we asked to take on these enormous problem ourselves. By keeping close to Him we will be able to do what is His will for us.

Secret Weapon

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”We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.’ Number 13:30

The twelve spies had just returned from exploring the Promised Land. Ten of the men magnified the problems and minimised the resources.Yet on their shoulders they bore the evidence of the richness of the land. But their hearts were consumed by fear; the people looked like giants and unbeatable.

The men had clear instructions from Moses; were the people strong or weak, the land good or bad, fertile or poor. But ten men forgot their secret weapon – God.

In our day and age, things look bad for the world, war in strategic places, no clear indication as to who is friend or enemy. The results of the election in the United States can have implications round the world. We have our own family problems and illnesses. The rejection of Christianity in various parts of the world is distressing. We could go on and on.

But what about our secret weapon? We have a God who notes the death of a sparrow and also has control of every nation. He can ease our pains and problems. May we not be like the Israelites , who messed up big time. Our God is supreme and knows the way we should take.

Childish or Childlike

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‘I tell you unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven.’ Matthew 18:3

I was never too clear as to what this verse meant but having heard a marvelous sermon on Sunday it is so much clearer. Some of our youngsters remained in the service, so it was explained at their level (and at mine too, it seems.) The children were asked ‘Did you drive your family to church this morning?’ Obviously not. Again ‘Do you do your family shop?’ Again, no, though they may assist in a small way. Then it was pointed out that they needed to rely on adults. They were only children.

Turning to the adults, ‘Can you run your lives without the help of God?’ The answer has to be no. We need to rely on God, just as children reply on adults. We need to be childlike and not childish. My hastily written notes during the sermon read, ‘Children rely on adults, they can’t do a thing alone. We need to rely on God. Trust. What am I relying on?’

I trust I have been able to make this as clear to you as it was to me.

Autumn

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‘As long as the earth endures seed-time and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.’ Genesis 8:22

We moan that the rhythm of our seasons are more unpredictable these days, but spring still follows winter, summer follows spring and at this time of year we know that autumn follows summer. In spite of some days feeling more wintery and others feeling more summery, God in His mercy still keeps His promises and the seasons will not cease. I don’t need to describe autumn to you as we have lived through so many; a time when leaves fall off the trees, birds migrate, morning frosts appear and mist clothes the hills.

Although we are depending more on industry and believe we are more sophisticated, we still rely on God for our sustenance. Life wouldn’t exist without His care and provision. Although churches do not have harvest festival services so much these days, we still need to give thanks for His provision towards us.

His providing for us is a blessing received, as is the air we breathe, so necessary for continuance of life, and all His blessings to us. Do we remember to thank Him for things we so often do not even notice – food, rest, seasons, and friendship? May we say with the Psalmist ‘We thank and praise You, Lord.’

Not Perfect

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The plant holder made by a young loving daughter stood outside the front door full of white cyclamen. The pot was not perfect and the daughter, now adult urged her mother, ‘Throw out that old pot, it’s so ugly. I was only young when I made it.’ But the planter is much-loved because it was made with love by a youngster who was never going to become a master potter.

The pot was higher on one side than the other and somehow there was a twist down the sides. But it did the job it was made for, it held plants and flowers which made a lovely arrangement. It didn’t leak and the neighbours appreciated the display.

We are like that imperfect plant holder. We aren’t perfect in mind, body or soul. But importantly we have been made with love. There is no doubt abut it, God loves us out of shape human beings. He knows we are higher on one side than the other, with our irrational, emotional and biased views. We can definitely be twisted, sometimes full of love and goodness, sometimes full of hate and spite.

But our lovable qualities can be noticed by non-believers. Like the much-loved pot, God won’t be throwing us out.

He Became Man

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As well as being divine, Jesus became human for our sake. That’s pretty tremendous! He suffered physically as we do. One day He became thirsty; the weather was hot and dusty. His disciples had gone into the village to buy food, so He was probably hungry as well. He sat down by the well because His feet were also aching and sore.

Knowing what we do of Jesus, it was no mistake that He sat at that particular well and at that time of day in that village. He had a divine appointment. On another occasion He was tired and weary. The chatter and bustle of twelve noisy men was more stressful than he wanted at that time. He needed to get away on His own. It wasn’t just a break from His companions that He needed but time to speak with His heavenly Father. He would have been missing heaven.

Why did Jesus suffer these earthly afflictions? Why was He hungry, thirsty and foot sore and at times brokenhearted. The one reason was that it was for our sake. The Trinity knows that it was so that we could be in heaven saved from our sins by the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.

Waiting

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A certain amount of our life is spent waiting and growing impatient in our waiting. But with God, His timing is not our timing. He always shows up at the right time, not too early, not too late. Abraham waited many weary years for a son. Only eternity will explain why God seemed to tarry, The Israelites waited in different circumstances for God to release them from the tyrannical hand of Pharaoh. Elijah waited, Gideon waited. Even Mary the mother of Jesus waited. The nine pregnant months must have seemed like an eternity as she waited for God’s Son to be born. The disciples of Jesus had to wait, to wait for Him to appear or act. Why didn’t Jesus heal Lazarus immediately? Why did the family have to suffer so long if he was going to be healed anyway? They had so many hours of mental torment. We read that on one occasion the disciples waited so long they went back to fishing. (John 6:15-21. Their wait was eventually rewarded when Jesus came towards them walking on the water!

We too are in a time of waiting, waiting to go to heaven either by our death or Jesus’ second coming. When we look at the state of the world or we are experiencing great difficulties, we cry out with the seers of old ‘How long? O Lord.?’ But the God who is out of our limitation of time, has complete control over time.

Psalms

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Surely we can learn from the Psalms, 150 all of them written straight from the hearts of the authors. Some are long (119), some are short (117) but the overriding themes are praise, worship and petition. ‘Praise be to the Lord, my Rock.’ Psalm 144:1 ‘You are my God, I worship You.’ Psalms 63:1, ‘Deliver me from my enemies, O God,’ Psalm 59:1

By praying , David was able to face many dangers and difficulties and this is an attitude we can copy. Moaning and complaining never solved anything. Praise and worship can lift the problem to a higher plane. It’s not as if we have nothing to praise God for. The gift of nature is uplifting, watching a bird struggling to get at a worm, or an autumn leaf spiraling in the wind. Seeing children at play or a gurgling infant in his or her pram, all brings a smile to our faces. To have a congregation singing their hearts out to God is worship or at early morning the birds praising their Maker, they are for ever praising God. Maybe we can do the same.

Jigsaws

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Now that the evenings are drawing in I enjoy doing a few jigsaws. I don’t have much spare time so I don’t do large puzz;es, 750 is my favourite size. I prefer the ones where the pieces are all different shapes and often work using the shapes instead of the colours. I have tried them face downward but this is slightly too difficult.

As I work on them I think of the different members of my church. We come in all shapes and sizes and not just physically. We have the clever members, the doctors, nurses, special medical workers and hospital auxiliary staff. There are also the homeless, those with dementia or limited intelligence and those out of work. We are blessed to have many children and young people , others of us are older, active and not active. Finlly we are equally spllit between men and women. Our differences are our strength.

‘Each of you should use whatever gift you have to serve others as faithful stewards of God’s grace in various forms.’ 1 Peter 4:10. God doesn’t only want clever people or homeless and poor in His church. Absolutely everyone is welcome and I thank God for the different kinds of people in my own church.

Elizabeth

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Blessed are you among women and blessed is the child you will bear. But why am I so favoured that the mother of my Lord should come to me.’

Luke 1:42-43

Much of our church history is centred round Mary, the mother of Jesus but not so much about Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist. It was not even Elizabeth who had the vision from the angel but her husband, Zechariah. The first she knew that anything miraculous was happening was when her husband returned from the temple, mute., and she wonderfully became pregnant.

She had the joy of a visit from Mary and together they praised God, two miraculuously expectant mothers. After the birth of her son, she had the wisdom and strength to declare ‘No, he is to be called John.’ As a mother she watched and waited while her son turned to a nomadic life, preached about the coming of the Messiah and baptised many, including Jesus.

Then there was that fateful day when the news reached her of the brutal murder of her son. Her heart was broken again when she heard the news of the crucifixion of Jesus. In the Bible it seems nothing more is heard of her. What a life of highest honour and deepest sorrow she had to suffer!